Australian volunteer Russell Allan Wilson killed in fighting for Ukraine. PHOTO
Volunteer fighter and Australian citizen Russell Allan Wilson was killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine. He died in combat on Dec. 12 near Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
Censor.NET reports this, citing The Independent and The Nightly.
What is known
A man who described himself on social media as a U.S. Army veteran said Wilson stayed in Ukraine despite the risks and was killed in fighting in the Donetsk region.
"He chose to stay when it would have been easier to leave. He stood his ground in a place where freedom is paid for in blood," the publication said.
He had been fighting since 2023
- Little is known about Wilson. Social media posts say he was from Gosford on the Central Coast of New South Wales and lived in Brisbane. In 2023, he came to Ukraine to fight as part of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
Australian authorities are trying to officially confirm reports that an Australian citizen was killed while fighting on the side of Ukraine’s army against Russia.
- A friend of Wilson's, who fought alongside him at the beginning of the war, told ABC that the volunteer died on 12 December.
"Russell was due to get married about a week after he was killed. This was his last mission before taking leave," he said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said it had received information about the death of an Australian citizen in Ukraine and was awaiting confirmation from local authorities. DFAT is providing consular assistance to the man’s family.
The spokesperson added that the Australian government advises against travel to Ukraine.
